The present disclosure relates to noise reduction members for motor vehicle fenders, and more particularly relates to the field of technology of a structure for reducing the noise entering a vehicle cabin.
In general, each fender of a motor vehicle includes a fender panel serving as an exterior panel for the motor vehicle and an inner fender forming a wheelhouse. A fender inner space is defined between the fender panel and the inner fender. Note that a motor vehicle includes a plurality of fenders. One pair of fenders arranged closer to its front wheels is called “front fenders,” while another pair of fenders arranged closer to its rear wheels “rear fenders.” When it is not necessary to distinguish the front and rear fenders from each other, they are simply called “fenders” collectively.
The front fender inner spaces, communicating with a front grille, sometimes allow noise to enter the front fender inner spaces from outside the vehicle cabin though the front grille. Also, the front fender inner spaces are adjacent to the motor vehicle's engine compartment, thus allowing noise inside the engine compartment to enter the front fender inner spaces easily. Furthermore, the front fender inner spaces are also adjacent to the motor vehicle's wheelhouses, thus also allowing road noise, generated while the motor vehicle is running, to enter the front fender inner spaces easily. Meanwhile, the rear fender inner spaces are adjacent to the motor vehicle's exhaust system, and therefore, allow noise inside the exhaust system to enter the rear fender inner space easily.
Furthermore, the rear end of the front fender inner spaces is only separated from the vehicle cabin via a panel, for example, and therefore, the noise entering the front fender inner spaces reaches the vehicle cabin easily. Moreover, the location of each front fender inner space, close to the motor vehicle's entrance to be opened and closed with a front door arranged on one side of the motor vehicle body, also allows the noise in the front fender inner space to easily enter the vehicle cabin from the motor vehicle's entrance by transmitting though the door's seal member, thus sometimes disturbing quietness in the vehicle cabin. Likewise, the noise entering the rear fender inner spaces will no less easily enter the vehicle cabin located in front of the rear fender inner spaces. As structures for improving the quietness in the vehicle cabin, known are the ones disclosed in the following four patent documents, for example.
Specifically, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2014-28515 attaches a soundproofing material, formed in the shape of a plate extending along the upper surface of an inner fender, to the upper surface of the inner fender, thereby attempting to reduce the engine noise and the road noise.
Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 3048125 arranges a cushion member formed in the shape of a vertically elongated flat plate in a rear region of a fender inner space.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-26060 attaches a sound insulation material, formed in the shape of a vertically elongated flat plate, to the gap between a front fender panel and a pillar panel with some fitting members.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2010-115985 provides a seal member with two sponge portions in a space partitioned and defined by a front fender panel, a fender apron lower member, and a fender apron upper member over and away from an inner fender.